UNDERSTANDING CLICHES, PARADOXES & EQUIVOCATIONS – LITERATURE
Literature is vast. Digging deep into literature is like exploring the world, you will discover a lot of things beyond what you could ever imagine. Literature is a set of expressions formed into writings that are made out of ideas, and emotions and it is out of the abundance of the heart of a man. The heart of a man is so full that sometimes simple words cannot describe what he wanted to express, thus using elements can be implied. There are elements of literature that are helpful for anyone who wanted to express words in a “juicy” or “mysterious” way. Technically, understanding these elements can improve your knowledge about literature and can be used in your future artistic expression of words.
- Cliché
“Cliché” is a term that originated in French. Originally, it means the tone of the use of a metal printing plate. In modern culture, it refers to something that is happening over and over again or is already expected to happen. Some people say, “You are so cliché!” as an expression of being irritated about events or actions have done repeatedly. However, “Cliché” in literature is an idea or expression that was once fresh and creative (to hear or read), yet overused.
Common Examples:
1. “Cold as ice”
2. “Read between the lines”
3. “They lived happily ever after”
4. “You are driving me crazy!”
5. “I am falling deeply in love”
I bet you already heard these lines before until now. Yes, even the “Happy Birthday!” line you say to your friends.
- Paradoxes
A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself. In a paradox statement, one part is true and the other part is not. It is somewhat an ironic statement. However, paradoxes are statements that can stir up a man’s mind. It takes a logical mind to fully grasp what the ‘paradox’ statement is implying or what it really means. These statements are commonly used in movies.
Examples from Movies:
1. “Me, I’m dishonest. And a dishonest man, you can always trust to be dishonest.”
– Pirates of the Caribbean 1: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2. “You seem like such a nice beast.”
– Labyrinth
Common Examples:
- Save money by spending it.
- Do not read the announcements.
- This is the beginning of the end.
Does it make sense? Well, you just need to think logically.
- Equivocations
This is commonly used to hide the truth or the real meaning of a statement by using shallow language. Some say that this is also used to deceive someone/group of people. It is an argument that has two sides – one side has a different meaning, while the other side has a different meaning as well. Equivocations are not common in an everyday conversation, but the following are the examples from Texas State University (n.d.):
- Sure philosophy helps you argue better, but do we really need to encourage people to argue? There’s enough hostility in this world.
- “You couldn’t have it if you didn’t want it,” the Queen said. “The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.” “It must come to jam today,” Alice objected. “No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s a jam every other day: today isn’t any other day, you know.”
– Alice Through the Looking Glass (movie)
The elements mentioned above are just a tiny portion of literature. So, there’s more to explore and learn!
